athensarch

Hi everyone (skip the first paragraph if you want me to get to the point) I just completed a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree at a regionally known school in Boston (pre-professional, non-accredited degree). I've come to realize that architecture as I now understand it in practice isn't what I thought it would be. In school, the quantitative analysis and attention to detail I hoped for seems much less prevalent than the subjective artsy stuff and grandiloquent theory. In limited co-ops, I've been the epitome of a CAD Monkey and paid considerably less than if I waited tables. I recently found out what architects reportedly make entering into the profession with master's degrees (~$30k, plus close to $100,000 debt) and after 5 or so years trying to fulfill internship requirements before sitting a a licensing exam that bumps your pay into around $40k. Our professional association, the AIA, only releases these reports every 4 years and doesn't advertise, nor do the schools, about salaries, which was a mistake on my part.[/end rant] I'm not exactly sure what I want to go into, but I like what I've read about civil engineering (particularly transportation engineering). I have a strong interest in infrastructure, city, and regional planning. I started checking out the American Society of Civil Engineers Website. I've been looking around the web to get an idea of what the curriculum at different schools in different programs is like. I did not have the opportunity to take classes in calculus and physics as an undergrad so I plan to take them at a community college over the next year (making sure they'd transfer to where I'd like to apply to). I'd like to job shadow a civil engineer at some point. What steps did you newly admitted engineering graduate students take before you knew engineering was for you? Did you participate in any kind of career exploration program? How important is it to receive your education at a "top ten school"?